Special thanks to sarajm who, even though she is incredibly busy with RL, managed to find time to beta this chapter!
Together in Spirit – Chapter 3
"You had mentioned to me that Arthur allows you time to return home to Ealdor to visit your mother. Ealdor happens to be on the way to Lord Markham's estate, so if you are planning a trip home, let me know and maybe we can arrange to meet somewhere."
Merlin reread the last part of Lancelot's letter and grinned. He'd not yet been back to Ealdor to visit; now, he'd be able to see his mother and hopefully spend some time with Lancelot as well.
Merlin folded up the latest missive and as he placed it in the trunk beside the first letter, he starting thinking on the best way to approach Arthur to ask for some time off to return to his village.
Noises from outside his door alerted Merlin to Gaius' return from his rounds in the Lower Town, so the young man bounded down the five steps that led to the main chamber and quickly relieved the physician of his medicine bag and the satchel he had hanging off his right shoulder.
Watching his ward with a look of fond amusement, Gaius said, "Merlin, not that I'm complaining, but what's gotten into you? You look like the cat that stole the milk."
Merlin grinned at the physician and, laying aside his burdens, he launched excitedly into some story, out of which Gaius was able to pick out what he thought where the words "Lancelot", "Ealdor", "school" and, possibly, "meet", but not much else.
"Hold on a minute, Merlin," he laughed, raising his hand. "I don't think you took a single breath during that whole speech. Why don't you start over … slowly."
Merlin flushed red and after taking a breath and slowing releasing it, he began his tale again.
"While you were out doing your rounds, I received a letter from Lancelot. In it, he said that his contract protecting the caravan had gone very well; he also said he'd been slightly injured but was well on the way to recovery when he wrote."
Turning to his mentor with a furrowed brow, he added, "Somehow I think it's much more serious than a 'slight' injury, Gaius. I'm a bit concerned. What if he was seriously hurt but he's trying not to worry me by telling me that he's fine?"
"Merlin, while it's fair to say that neither of us know Lancelot very well, from what we've seen of him do you honestly think he's the type of person to lie to you like that? You've got to trust that when he says he was only slightly injured and is recovering, he's telling you the truth."
"That's true, Gaius; I wasn't thinking," said Merlin. "Anyway, Lancelot heard about a Lord in Essetir who is starting up a training school for young men who want to improve their fighting skills, so he's on his way there to see what it's all about and hopefully get hired on as a teacher," concluded Merlin.
"That's excellent news, Merlin. I'm very pleased for Lancelot," answered Gaius. Then with a thoughtful look, he added, "But that can't be the full explanation for the grin that is currently plastered across your face. What else did he say?"
Merlin laughed out loud and added, "I know where Lord Markham's lands are, and Lancelot will have to pass by Ealdor on his way. Which means …"
"Which means," interjected Gaius, "that you may be able to meet up with him in Ealdor as you haven't yet made your biannual visit home."
"Exactly!" exclaimed Merlin. "Now, I've just got to figure out how to get Arthur to agree to let me go soon. I'm going to need a good reason for visiting now, as planting season is over, but the crops aren't ready for harvesting. And I certainly can't tell him that I'm planning on meeting up with Lancelot."
"I'm sure you'll think of something, Merlin. You always do," said Gaius with a smile. Then he muttered under his breath, "for better or worse."
"Pardon?" asked Merlin. He had been busy replenishing Gaius' medicine bag had not heard what the man had said.
"Nothing, nothing," said Gaius and he began emptying out his satchel. "You know, Merlin, you could always try the truth. Arthur knows that you and Lancelot are friends, and I'm sure he won't begrudge you either the visit with your mother or the chance to see Lancelot."
"Yes, but … I know Arthur regrets the King's actions, but it wouldn't look good if someone finds out that his servant is friends with a man recently banished from Camelot," responded Merlin. "I'll give it some thought, though, before I speak with Arthur."
The next morning, Merlin was up with the birds. Well, actually, to be honest, he hadn't really slept at all. Merlin had spent the night lying in his bed trying to come up with a rational reason as to why he must head home to Ealdor in the next couple of weeks. He'd had plenty of ideas, but each was crazier and more involved that the previous; in the end, he decided that Gaius was right. He should just tell Arthur his true reasons for wanting to head home sooner rather than later. But a little buttering up couldn't hurt, could it?
Merlin quickly jumped out of bed, pulled on his clothes and quietly crept down the stairs and through the main room, trying not to disturb Gaius' sleep. The young man had a plan: first stop, the stables.
The dew was heavy on the ground as Merlin made his way down the wide stairs and across the courtyard towards the stables. The air was still and Camelot was oddly quiet; the rooster had not yet crowed and the only people Merlin saw were a couple of the stable lads and the dog-boy heading off towards the Royal Kennels.
Approaching the stables, Merlin saw the Stable Master standing in the doorway, a steaming mug clutched in his hands.
"Merlin! This is a surprise; I don't usually see you 'round here this early. Is the Prince wanting his horse?" said the older man.
"No, everything's fine," confirmed Merlin. "I couldn't sleep so I decided I'd be productive instead and come down here to brush Hengroen and clean out her stall."
"Well, don't let me stand in your way," said the older man with a laugh. "You know where everything is. But don't worry about feeding her. I'll get one of the lads to fill her trough when you're through."
"Thanks," said Merlin with a smile as he entered the warm, shadowed stables and gave a brief wave to the two stable lads cleaning out the stalls. Merlin picked up a curry comb, a brush and a hoof pick before heading down the wide aisle towards Hengroen's stall.
Just as the servant was reaching towards the rope that was hung across the opening, Hengroen turned and, after giving the young man a gentle butt with her head, proceeded to lip at his pockets looking for her treat. Merlin never arrived without something - an apple, a carrot - in his pockets for the mare. Laughing, Merlin handed over the apple and after giving her an affectionate scratching between her ears, he proceeded to brush and curry the animal until her coat shone like silk.
Once the horse was done, Merlin moved her out into the passageway and got to work on mucking out the stall and replacing the hay. As he pitched in the last forkful of fresh hay, one of the stable lads came by and said, "Merlin, if you want I can take over now; I don't mind. You've done all the hard work, so the least I can do is put Hengroen back in her stall and give her breakfast!"
"Thanks, Alwin, I appreciate it," said Merlin as he gave the horse a pat on the neck before returning the grooming kit to the store room and heading out the stables and back towards the castle.
Merlin had been in the stables for a little under an hour, and in that time Camelot had awoken. The quiet and calm of earlier was gone; now there were servants bustling around performing their morning duties, a few of the shopkeepers were getting ready to open their stalls for the day, and the overnight guards were being replaced by the morning shift.
Knowing he still had some time before Arthur would need to be woken, Merlin then headed towards the armoury, intent on cleaning and polishing Arthur's armour and sword. Polishing armour was definitely not one of Merlin's favourite tasks, but with a goal in mind, he figured it would at least make the boring job slightly less tedious. On entering the armoury, Merlin found a clear table where he could work, then proceeded to spread out Arthur's armour, together with the cleaning paste, a cleaning cloth and a dry, soft cloth for polishing the cleaned armour.
Merlin was almost finished when the door to the armoury swung open and a couple of squires entered the room, laughing and joking.
"Merlin," said one of the young lads in a surprised tone, "what are you doing here so early?"
Looking up from his task, Merlin grinned at the two squires and waving the gauntlet grasped in his left hand, said, "I'm just finishing up Arthur's armour. Oh, this bowl of polishing paste is almost empty, so you'll need to get another one if that's what you're planning on doing right now."
Gerald gave a sigh and moaned, "That's exactly what I've got to do this morning. Sir Jasper's armour looks like he rolled around in the mud, so I think I'm going to be here a while."
Merlin laughed and standing up said, "Here, you can take my place." After putting away Arthur's armour, he slapped Gerald on the back and said, "Good luck with that mess, my friend."
"Thanks so much, Merlin," responded Gerald with a snort.
After leaving the armoury, Merlin's next stop was the kitchens to pick up Arthur's breakfast. Maybe, if I'm lucky, thought the young man, Cook will be in a good mood and I can get something special for Arthur this morning.
While still a corridor away from the kitchens, Merlin's nose started twitching and he took a deep breath and smiled. The aromas wafting from the kitchens were certainly enticing; in fact, it smelled like Cook had been baking some of her special fruit pies. Merlin stepped into the large, busy room and stood to one side, out of everyone's way. The place was bustling and as he looked around hoping to catch someone's attention he saw on a table a collection of fruit pies. One of those would be a perfect addition to Arthur's breakfast.
Holding court over the mass of pots, pans and assistants, Cook was in her element. She flitted from here to there, with spoon in hand, barking orders and tasting everything. She looked up and, seeing Merlin standing quietly in the room, hurried over.
"Merlin, good morning," she greeted. Merlin knew he was one of her favourites, considering she was always giving him an extra roll, or bit of cheese, or a slightly overcooked pastry.
"Good morning!" responded Merlin. "I'm here to pick up Arthur's breakfast. I was wondering if … maybe … well, you see ….," stuttered the young man.
"Out with it, Merlin. I haven't got all day," said the Cook, her gruff words at odds with her smile.
"Okay, well, I've a favour to ask of Prince Arthur this morning and I was wondering if possibly this morning's breakfast could be extra special. I mean, I know your breakfasts are always wonderful but ….," he trailed off.
"Let me guess, you just want to be sure Arthur says 'yes' to your request," responded Cook.
Merlin did not say anything, but had the grace to look embarrassed.
"Not to worry, Merlin. I'll put together a breakfast fit for a Prince!" She picked up a platter from the table near the door and then proceeded to place on it some freshly-baked rolls with butter, some sliced meats, some cheeses, a selection of fruits and not one, but two of her fruit pies. Handing the heavily-laden platter to Merlin she said, "This should do the trick, young man!" She then handed Merlin a slightly overdone fruit pie wrapped in a napkin and said, "Here, enjoy."
Merlin gratefully took Arthur's breakfast platter, stuffed his fruit pie into his pocket for later and hurried through the corridors towards Arthur's chambers.
When his quiet rapping received no response, Merlin eased the door open and peered in. Good, thought the servant, he's still asleep. Merlin entered the room and after laying out the prince's breakfast, the young servant then drew open the heavy drapes and called cheerily, "Good morning, Arthur. Time to get up. It's going to be a beautiful day and I've got your breakfast ready."
A moan sounded from the bed, but soon enough the covers flew back and Arthur sat up, running his hands through his hair. "Good morning, Merlin. You're in a good mood this morning. What's brought this one?"
Merlin grinned at Arthur and said, "I'm usually in a good morning in the mornings, Arthur. Unlike you!"
"Stuff it, Merlin," responded Arthur with a smirk as he stood up and headed towards his desk which was now covered with a collection of breakfast foods, and a cup of cool, clear water.
Arthur was surprised at the bounty before him; usually breakfast was a couple of pieces of fruit and a roll. This was a feast spread out before him!
Looking over at his servant, who was now digging through the wardrobe and pulling out clothing for the day, Arthur asked, "Merlin, why is breakfast this morning so sumptuous? I'm not arguing, mind, but usually you bring me something much simpler. Wait … are these Cook's fruit pies?!"
"No reason, Arthur," responded Merlin as he turned around holding a red shirt. As he gestured towards Arthur with the shirt, Merlin continued, "I just thought you deserved a nice breakfast this morning, and Cook had just made some fruit pies, and I thought you'd like one before they all disappear."
Arthur waved his hand at Merlin, which the young man took to mean that the red shirt was fine for today; he then watched with amusement as Arthur proceeded to dive into his meal, thoroughly enjoying it from the look on his face.
Merlin finished laying out Arthur's clothes and went to stand in front of Arthur, looking expectant.
Feeling eyes on him, Arthur glanced up from the fruit pie he was presently devouring to his manservant and raised his eyebrows in query.
"I'm waiting for you to give me my list of tasks for the day," said Merlin.
"Oh … well then ...," responded Arthur as he swallowed the last bit of pie and pushed himself back from the desk. "I need you to polish my armour," he began.
"Already done," responded Merlin.
Arthur was a bit taken aback, but continued, "You will have to take care of Hengroen and muck out her stall."
"Did that first thing this morning," came the response.
Arthur raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Well then, you'll need to sharpen my sword …"
"Did that while I was cleaning your armour," interjected Merlin. "Oh, and I also wrote the speech you'll need to give at the cattle judging this afternoon."
"Okay Merlin. What's going on?" asked Arthur. "You've already cared for my horse this morning, polished my armour, sharpened my sword, written a speech that I didn't ask you to write and brought me this frankly incredible breakfast. What do you want?"
Merlin's cheeks grew rosy and he said, "Couldn't I just be showing you how efficient I am as your servant?"
"Really Merlin? You? I don't think so. You want something, so out with it," answered Arthur with a grin.
"Well, actually …," began Merlin.
"Hah! I knew it," crowed Arthur.
"I was hoping that you'd let me travel home to Ealdor in the next few weeks so I can visit my mother and …"
"And …" said Arthur as his servant failed to continue his request.
"… and I'd also get the opportunity to see Lancelot. You see, he's going to be in Essetir for a while and I was hoping that I'd get the chance to meet up with him."
Arthur smiled gently at his manservant. He was coming to discover that Merlin had a gentle heart and was very caring of his friends.
"Merlin, listen, you didn't need to worry about asking if you could go home and spend some time with your mother. I won't say I don't appreciate all you did this morning, but it wasn't really necessary. You can leave for Ealdor after the knighting ceremony scheduled for the end of next week, and I should be able to spare you for 10 days. Will that suffice?"
Merlin grinned at his master and said, "Arthur, thank you so much. That is perfect as it will give me time to get a message to both my mother and Lancelot and they'll know when to expect me."
Glad to have been able to do something nice for his servant, Arthur waved his hand towards the young man and said, "Shoo. I'm sure you've not yet had breakfast so go eat something and I'll see you on the training grounds in one hour."
Watching the young man scurry out of the room with a final, "Thank you!", Arthur grinned at the his young servant's enthusiasm and proceeded to get dressed and ready for the day.
Later than evening, Merlin sat down at the worktable in his rooms and, pulling a piece of parchment towards him, wrote a letter to his mother telling her that he'd be home for a visit by mid-July.
With one letter finished, he then proceeded to write to Lancelot.
Dear Lancelot
I will admit that I was very concerned to hear that you were injured during your duties guarding the caravan, but I trust that when you said that you were recovering, that was the truth. I'll be very upset with you if, when I see you in Ealdor, it turns out you weren't being quite honest with me.
Yes, we can meet up in Ealdor! I spoke with Arthur today and he's letting me out of my duties for 10 days in mid-July so I can visit with my mother and hopefully meet up with you at the same time. I've got to stick around Camelot until the end of next week – Arthur needs me to help out at a knighting ceremony – but once it's over, I'm free to head home!
I know where Lord Markham's estate is located, and it's only about an hour's ride from Ealdor, so once I've arrived home, I'll let you know. Good luck with that, by the way. I'm sure you'll impress everyone and they'll be anxious to hire you on. Arthur mentioned that he'd like to have your impressions of the training school … I think he's interested in setting up something similar here, if it seems feasible.
I really hope that you'll be able to get an afternoon to come to Ealdor; I would love for you to meet my mother, Hunith. I know she's going to like you.
Anyway, I'll see you soon. Take care of yourself in the meantime.
Your friend,
Merlin
Now all he had to do was find a merchant or some group of travellers heading in the proper direction who would be willing to deliver his letters.